Scripture: Colossians 3:1-25

Aim: To instruct the believer in some of God’s requirements for those who have become Christians and who are now members of God’s chosen community, the Church of Jesus Christ.

Golden Text: “Ye have put off the old man with his deeds; and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him” (Colossians 3:9b-10).

Those who have been born again into the family of God by faith in Christ have been made members in the “Community of God,” the Church of Jesus Christ. Many things have become true and many things are continually changing as the believer re-adjusts his life to become more like the Savior, Jesus Christ. The believer should be growing a developing into a fruitful Christian.

I. The priorities must be set properly in order to become the Christian God wants the believer to be (Colossians 3:1-2). Three things are pointed out here. First, the believer has been risen with Christ (vs. 1). He has new resurrection life.

Second, the believer is to seek the things that are heavenly (vs. 1).

Third, the believer must set his affections on things that are heavenly, not earthly (vs. 2).

II. The position of the believer has changed since he has become a Christian (Colossians 3:3). He used to be dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-2). He is now a new creation in Christ Jesus. He has eternal life and is now a child of God. The believer is now in Jesus Christ. That is his position. The Father sees the believer “in Christ”.

III. The prospects of the believer are securely founded in Jesus Christ (Colossians 3:4). Jesus Christ is going to return to this earth for all His saved ones. This is called the “Rapture of the Church.” Christ will return and take all the born-again believers to be with Him in Heaven. He will give each believer a glorified body.

IV. The believer is to learn to live the Christian life while he is waiting for His Lord’s return (Colossians 3:5-11). The believer is to “cut off” all the sinful practices, which were so natural to him before his conversion to Christ (vs. 5). Paul names several things that require the wrath of God (vs. 5). The wrath of God comes upon those who practice those things (vs. 6). A list of things, which should be put out of the life, is given (vs. 8-9).

All the evil things that a person practiced before conversion are to be put out of the life (vs. 8-9). They include anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of the mouth and lying to one another.

The believer has been renewed in Christ (vs. 10). He is now to put on the new things (character traits) of the Christian. Jesus Christ has now become “all and in all” (vs. 11).

V. The believer has new life in Christ, and he adjusts his own life to coincide with the life of Jesus Christ and His will for the believer (Colossians 3:12-25). Verses 12-14 names several things each believer is to develop as character traits.

The result will be peace with God in Christ (vs. 15). The believer will concentrate on the Word of God that he may learn and obey it (vs. 16). He must learn to do whatever he does for the glory of God and in a way that glorifies God (vs. 17, 23).

The chapter closes with a blessing to those who faithfully serve Jesus Christ, and at the same time, it offers the judgment of God upon those who fail to do right (vs. 25). The believer has become a servant of Jesus Christ (vs. 24).